1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power tools, and more particularly, to power tools with structure for venting the motor exhaust air thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, electric motors disposed in the tool housing of electric power tools have included air inlet ports to suck air into the motor for cooling and air exhaust ports to exhaust this air which has become warmed. Typically, the tool housing has vents aligned with the exhaust ports to vent the air from the tool to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, in prior tools, not all the air from the tool vents to the atmosphere, but instead some flows to other portions of the tool, such as the trigger and handle, which increases their temperature making them uncomfortable to handle and decreasing the life of the trigger switch. Also, some of the non-vented air may be re-sucked into the motor air inlet port, making the brushes of the motor hotter and decreasing their life.
One attempt to solve the problem was to integrally form an air deflector on an interior portion of the tool housing surrounding the motor exhaust air ports. The deflector consisted of two inwardly projecting walls which surrounded both the motor exhaust ports and vents in the tool housing in an attempt to channel the exhaust air mainly out of the tool housing vents and away from other areas of the tool. Since the deflector was formed integrally with the housing it needed to be formed of a hard plastic and, therefore could not fit tightly around the outer surface of the motor housing, permitting leakage to other areas of the tool. Additionally, if the deflector became damaged, the entire tool housing would need to be replaced.